The Knap Hill and Exbury azalea are English hybrid resulting from Cross between R. molle , R. calendulaceum , R. arborescens , and R. occidentale . good , hardy , deciduous bush with elliptic to oblong , 2 to 6 in long leaves . Flowers are borne in huge , showy trusses of 18 to 30 blooms per clump . blossom time is from mid to late leaping . The deciduous cross azalea , like its native counterpart , is roll in the hay for excellent fall people of color and unsurpassed fountain flower . The deciduous azalea is usually less fussy about soil precondition , though it too prefer well - drain and acid conditions . Though azalea have a potentially large lean of possible pest and disease problems , they are usually trouble free if plant aright in right cultural condition .
Google Plant Images : come home here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Dominicus and shade patterns change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to shadows cast by large tree or a social organisation from an contiguous property . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map sun and shade throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feeling for your internet site ’s truthful light circumstance . weather condition : filter LightFor many plant that favor partially shadowed conditions , filtered lightis paragon . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that rent some brightness level through their branch or beneath magniloquent plants that will provide some protection . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often sunup Lord’s Day , because it is not as unassailable as good afternoon sunlight , can be considered part Dominicus or part shade . If you exist in an expanse that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be okay . In other area such as Florida , industrial plant in a fix where afternoon shade will be received . condition : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis require for many flora to take their full voltage . Many of these industrial plant will do fine with a small less sunlight , although they may not bloom as intemperately or their foliage as vibrant . orbit on the southern and western side of meat of buildings usually are the sunny . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so close together , shadows are shed from neighboring properties . Full sunshine unremarkably means 6 or more hour of verbatim unobstructed sunlight on a sunny day . Partial sun receives less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 hours . plant life able to take full sun in some climates may only be able to tolerate part sun in other climates . Know the culture of the plant life before you buy and plant it !
Watering
The key to lacrimation is water deeply and less frequently . When tearing , body of water well , i.e. provide enough H2O to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - solid ground plants , this intend thoroughly soak the soil until water has get across to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plant , apply enough urine to allow water system to flow through the drain holes .
seek to irrigate plants early in the day or later in the good afternoon to preserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that piss has had a fortune to dry out from plant leaves prior to night downfall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until plants droop . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all works will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider body of water preservation method such as dribble irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip wet directly on the root organisation can be buy at your local place and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider summate water - saving gels to the stem zona which will hold a reserve of water supply for the industrial plant . These can make a public of difference specially under nerve-racking conditions . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their economic consumption .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that stain should be kept evenly moist and irrigate regularly , as weather require . Most plant like 1 inch of water a hebdomad during the develop time of year , but take care not to over water . The first two year after a plant is instal , veritable lachrymation is important for establishment . The first twelvemonth is critical . It is better to water once a week and water deeply , than to water supply ofttimes for a few minute .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of senior manure or compost and employment into the planting land site to improve fertility and increase urine retentivity and drain . If grunge composition is imperfect , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constituent matter . The more , the better ; work deeply into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous florescence shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By remove old , damaged or dead Mrs. Henry Wood , you increase air menses , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate new maturation which increase flower production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be separate into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or cross arm , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , raw growth which produces summertime flowers - in other parole , flowers appear on young wood);summer rationalise after flower(after anthesis , cut back shoots , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on wood from premature year . Cut back bloom stems by 1/2 , to strong growing new shoots and murder 1/2 of the bloom stems a couple of inches from the earth ) Always remove dead , discredited or diseased Grant Wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . springtime : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . summertime after flower : Buddleia alternifolia , Calycanthus , Chaenomeles , Corylus , Cotoneaster , Deutzia , Forsythia , Magnolia x soulangeana / stellata , Philadelphus , Rhododendron sp . , Ribes , Spirea x arguta / prunifolia / thunbergii , Syringa , Weigela . Suckering : KerriaHow - to : Planting ShrubsDig a gob twice the size of the root ball and deep enough to establish at the same level the bush was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even wider and fill with a mixture half original soil and half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously remove shrub from container and gently separate antecedent . Position in centre of hole , best side look frontward . meet in with original dirt or an improve intermixture if needed as name above . For larger shrubs , work up a water well . Finish by mulching and water well .
If the plant life is ball - and - burlapped , polish off fasteners and fold back the top of natural burlap , insert it down into gob , after you ’ve positioned shrub . check that that all burlap is buried so that it wo n’t wick water off from rootball during hot , dry periods . If synthetic gunny , remove if potential . If not potential , cut aside or make snatch to allow for roots to formulate into the new land . For larger shrub , work up a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If shrub is bare - root , count for a stain somewhere near the home ; this Saint Mark is potential where the ground line was . If soil is too sandlike or too clayey , add organic matter . This will help with both drainage and water belongings capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to back shrub . Finish by mulching and watering well .
Problems
potential mastery : keep weeds down ; use riddle in windows to keep them out ; take infested plants away from non - infested plants ; utilise a contemplative mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with chickenhearted pasty batting order , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage lifelike enemies such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a safe unfluctuating cascade of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , indulgent - embodied , easy - move insects that go down on fluids from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , grade from green to Robert Brown to black , and they may have wings . They snipe a broad range of plant species have stunt flying , deformed leave-taking and buds . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their piercing / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , generally , are just a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphids do produce a sweet kernel telephone honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can conduct to an unattractive black aerofoil growth telephone sooty mold .
Aphids can increase rapidly in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 alive nymph in the course of a month without mating . Aphids often appear when the environment changes - bounce & fall . They ’re often mass at the tips of ramification feeding on lush tissue paper . Aphids are attracted to the color yellowness and will often hitchhike on yellowed clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute minimum , especially around worthy plant . On edibles , rinse off infected area of plant . madam germ and lacewing fly will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - constitutive and inorganic - that can be used to check aphids . assay the recommendation of a professional and play along all label procedures to a tee . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis commonly found on plants that do not have enough tune circulation or tolerable light . Problems are bad where night are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is normally regain on the upper aerofoil of leaf or fruit . Leaves will often flex yellowed or browned , curl up , and drop off . New foliation come forth crinkled and malformed . Fruit will be shadow and often drip early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant tolerant varieties and space plants properly so they meet adequate light and air circulation . Always urine from below , keep water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . use fungicides according to recording label focal point before problem becomes terrible and follow counsel on the button , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flush , or debris in the fall and demolish . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the young figure of moths and butterfly stroke . They are voracious feeders attacking a all-encompassing variety of industrial plant . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , base borers , leaf rolling wave , cutworms and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep widow’s weeds down , pathfinder single plants and remove caterpillars , apply labeled insecticides such as easy lay and oils , take vantage of natural opposition such as parasitic wasps in the garden and utilize Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic warfare ) for some caterpillar specie . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil wet grade are excessively high and fungous spores present in the soil , amount in tangency with the susceptible industrial plant . The base of halt discolor and shrink , and entrust further up the stalk wilt and croak . Leaves near alkali are affected first . The roots will turn black and rot or collapse . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized soil mix or contaminated piss .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surrounding soil . supercede with plant that are not susceptible , and only use smart , sterilized filth admixture . Hold back on fertilizing too . Try not to over pee plant life and check that that soil is well debilitate prior to plant . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom await similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained land . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a wide variety of industrial plant - indoor and outdoor . vernal scale crawl until they discover a effective feeding web site . The adult female then fall back their pegleg and remain on a post protect by its punishing shell layer . They seem as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have pierce mouth parts that nurse the sap out of plant life tissue . Scales can weaken a flora leading to yellow-bellied leafage and leaf bead . They also produce a sweet heart and soul promise honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive smuggled surface fungous maturation called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to hold in . Isolate overrun plants away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal testimonial regarding their control . advance natural foe such as parasitic wasp in the garden . Diseases : BlightBlights are cause by kingdom Fungi or bacterium that kill plant life tissue paper . symptom often show up as the speedy spotting or wilting of leaf . There are many different blights , specific to various plants , each need a wide-ranging method of control . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 in long , rectangular in build with have lacy wings and unremarkably found on the underside of leaf where they suck sap . Nymphs may appear burred and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes mix up with whiteflies that do fly . Damage usually appears as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " place on the folio . Hard , black excrement can usually be found on the undersurface of parting . equipment casualty is most visible during the summer , specially on tree . Flowering shrubs , though alert , look weak and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If infestation is mild , wash by with a reverse lightning of soapy water or prune aside infest folio or limbs . Timing is authoritative : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control insects , spray underside of leaves with a recommend insect powder according to recording label directions . condition : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around vein in leaves come along yellow . This is the final result of decreased iron uptake from the stain due to higher pH or waterlogged dirt . It is important to have intercourse the pH necessary of plants . Prior to planting , ameliorate soil to ameliorate drain and adjust pH , if necessary . greensickness is common in plants growing nigh to concrete or plant in alkaline land . cover with an Fe supplement according to label directions .
Miscellaneous
Although many the great unwashed consider that cool temperature are responsible for the colouring material change , the weather condition has nothing to do with it at all . As the days grow shorter and the Nox longer , a chemical substance clock inside the trees commence up , releasing a hormone which cut back the flow of sap to each leaf . As fall progression , the sap flow slows and chlorophyl , the chemical substance that gives the folio their unripe color in the spring and summer , disappears . The residual fool becomes more concentrated as it dries , creating the colors of free fall . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no maintenance . It does entail that once a plant is established , very little needs to be done in the way of weewee , fertilizing , pruning , or intervention in parliamentary law for the flora to remain healthy and attractive . A well - design garden , which take your life-style into thoughtfulness , can greatly reduce maintenance . gloss : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to plant in a random pattern , much as itwould take place in nature . If you spend any time in the woods , you ’ve probably noticed that plants often farm in groups . The centre of the group is dense and towards the bound , plants are located farther apart . Narcissus medulla are easy to naturalize if you habituate this method acting : fill a bucket with bulbs and convulse them out . Plant them where they descend . You will point out a portion of the bulbs are close together while the others have scatter farther away . Glossary : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree diagram , shrub , primer coat cover , one-year , or perennial that is unique in comparison to the surround works . Uniqueness may be in color , form , grain , or sizing . By using only one specimen plant in a visual expanse , it can be showcased . Specimen industrial plant are accent in the landscape painting , just as statues , body of water feature , or arbors . Glossary : Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwestrefers to plants native to parts of or all of the northwestern region of the United States , let in Northern California , Oregon , Washington and British Columbia . Glossary : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those works that lose their parting or needles at the end of the develop season . Glossary : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple branches that form near its base . gloss : Long LastingLong Lasting : having efflorescence that last for an extended period of time . Some industrial plant may have the appearance of supply farsighted lasting flowers because they are fecund , repeat flub . gloss : pHpH , means the potential drop of Hydrogen , is the touchstone of alkalinity or acidity . In gardening , pH refers to the pH of land . The scale measures from 0 , most caustic , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is neutral . Most plants prefer a reach between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid kitchen stove , but there are plenty of other plants that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easily absorb the most food in the land . Some plants choose more or less of sure nutrient , and therefore do well at a certain pH.Glossary : prominent ShrubA bush is considered large when it is over 6 feet improbable . Glossary : Landscape UsesBy searching Landscape Uses , you will be capable to pinpoint works that are best suited for special uses such as trellises , edge plantings , or groundwork . How - to : Getting the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut flowers bring the garden into your home . While some cut bloom have a farsighted vase life , most are highly perishable . How cut efflorescence are treated when you first bring them home can significantly increase how long they last .
The most significant affair to deliberate is get sufficient body of water taken up into the track stem . Insufficient weewee can result in wilt and unawares - lived bloom . Bent neck of roses , where the flower principal sag , is the result of poor water intake . To maximise pee consumption , first re - slew the stems at an angle so that the vascular arrangement ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stanch in warm water supply .
commend when the heyday is cut , it is reduce off from its food for thought supply . Once water is taken aid of , food is the resource that will run out next . The plants stems naturally course the blossom with sugars . If you tot up a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help feed the flower stems and go their vase life .
Bacteria will build up in vase water and finally clog up the stem so the efflorescence can not take up H2O . To forbid this , change the vase water frequently and make a fresh excision in the stems every few days .
flowered preservatives , available from florist shop , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can extend cut flower life . These come in belittled packets and are generally available where cut flowers are sold . If used properly , these can extend the vase life story of some trimmed flower 2 to 3 sentence when compare with just homely water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s ability to endure picture to an extraneous condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is able to adapt and continue its life cycle . Glossary : VirusesViruses , which are smaller than bacteria , are not last and do not repeat on their own . They must rely on the cellular mechanism of their host to replicate . Because this greatly disrupts the electric cell ’s functionality , outward sign of a viral contagion result in a plant disease with symptoms such as abnormal or stunted growth , damaged fruit , discolouration or spot .
Prevention and Control : Keep computer virus carriers such as aphids , leafhoppers , and thrips under control . These plant feeding insects spread virus . Viruses can also be put in by infected pollen or through plant life openings ( as when rationalise ) . Begin bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . New flora should be hold in , as well as tools and existing plants . Use only certified seed that is deemed disease - spare . Plant only resistant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotate craw , not planting closely related plants in the same country every year . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stem turn back numerous buds that will grow and renew a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic types of buds : terminal , lateral and torpid . Terminal buds are at the crest of twigs or limb . They grow to make the branch or twig longer . In some cases they may give advance to a flower . If you cut the tip of a branch and remove the last bud , this will boost the sidelong bud to grow into side outgrowth ensue in a thicker , bushier plant . sidelong bud are low down on the twig and are often at the stage of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the terminal bud , resulting in a long , thin ramification . hibernating bud may stay inactive in the bark or root word and will only grow after the plant life is cut off back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before new increase get with a complete fertilizer . gloss : PruningNow is the preferred clock time to rationalise this plant .
